S/Sgt. David E. Karlson

Parents: Karl & Hilda Karlson

Siblings: 6 sisters, 4 brothers

Home: 1506 Laurel Street - Brainerd, Minnesota

Enlisted: Minnesota National Guard

Inducted: 

    - U. S. Army

        - 10 February 1941 - Brainerd, Minnesota

Training: 

    - Fort Lewis, Washington

Unit: 

    - 194th Tank Battalion

Overseas Duty: 

    - Philippine Islands

Engagements: 

   - Battle of Luzon

        - 8 December 1941 - 6 January 1942 

   - Battle of Bataan

        - 7 January 1942 - 9 April 1942

Prisoner of War: 

    - 9 April 1942

        - Death March

           - started march at Mariveles on southern tip of Bataan
           - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing at Corregidor
           - San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden boxcars
               - 100 POWs packed into each boxcar
                   - those who died remain standing
           - Capas - living left cars - dead fell out of boxcars
           - POWs walked last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell 

POW Camps:

    - Philippines:

        - Camp O'Donnell

            - unfinished Filipino training base
            - Japanese put camp into use as POW Camp
            - only one water spigot for entire camp
            - as many as 50 POWs died each day
            - Japanese opened new POW camp to lower death rate  

        - Cabanatuan

    Japan:

        - Yodagawa Camp

            - Transferred: 10 January 1943

        - Itchioka Camp

Hell Ship: Nagato Maru

    - Sailed: Manila - 7 November 1942

        Note: Ship stopped at Formosa

    - Arrived: Moji, Japan - 24 November 1942

Died:

    - 24 January 1943 - malnutrition & beriberi

        - POW bodies were cremated

Buried:

    - American Military Cemetery - Manila, Philippine Islands

        - Plot:  B   Row:  13   Grave:  134

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